By Amy Boys MSS, LSW
October is Fitness and Nutrition Month for the Wellness Committee -- Check out these Snippets of Information and Assess your Wellness!
* You can't do better than the so-called cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli has gotten most of the attention, but all members of this family, i.e. cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, chard, collards, and mustard greens, contain compounds that boost the production of certain enzymes that can protect cells against cancer-causing agents. They're also chock-full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other healthful plant chemicals.
* Snack on dried fruits, but remember their disadvantages as well as advantages. Because drying the fruit reduces water, it greatly concentrates the minerals (iron, copper, and potassium), beta carotene, and fiber. But it also concentrates the sugar and thus the calories; the sugar, combined with the sticky texture, makes dried fruit bad for teeth. In addition, the drying destroys most of the vitamin C and any heat-sensitive phytochemincals. About 1% of Americans, primarily asthmatics, are sensitive to the sulfites that are often added to dried fruits to preserve their color.
* Cereal: the whole truth. Here are some quick tips on getting the most bang for your buck when it comes to choosing a good cereal:
- Look for high-fiber cereal -- whole wheat, wheat bran, whole barley, brown rice, oats, and corn. Also amaranth, quinoa, and soy!
- Avoid high-fat cereals, like granola
- Watch out for high sodium and lots of added sugar;
- Watch out for half-truths, "low in fat" or "high in calcium" may still be packed with sugar!
- Organic cereals are usually more expensive without being more nutritious.
- Store brands are often the same as name brands, i.e. oatmeal is oatmeal -- shop by price and save yourself some cash!
- Skip cereals with added herbs -- you don't know how much you're getting, and most often it's mostly sugar!
* No wonder there is an epidemic of obesity: Americans consumed about 340 more calories a day, on average, in the late 1990s than they did in the mid-1980s, and at least 500 extra calories a day than in the 1950s. Most of these extra calories come from increased consumption of refined grain products, added fats and oils, and added sugars. As calorie intake rose, physical activity declined among most Americans.
* Don't assume that light beers are "light" in alcohol: they usually contain nearly as much alcohol as regular beer. The "light" in beer refers to calories, which must be reduced at least 25%, according to the FDA. A 12-ounce can of typical domestic beer, with 4.5% alcohol, has as much alcohol as a shot (1.5 ounces) of 80 proof whiskey, gin, or vodka, or five ounces of wine. And many imported beers and microbrewed beers contain 6% alcohol (sometimes even more).
* Look again at apple juice. Compared to other juices it may be a nutritional weakling (unless it is fortified with Vitamin C), but it contains antioxidant compounds called polyphenols that may help protect against heart disease. A recent study at UC Davis looked at the blood of people who drank 12 ounces of commercial (unfortified) apple juice a day for six weeks and found that the juice significantly reduces oxidation of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Oxidation makes LDL more likely to promote the buildup of fatty plaque in coronary arteries. Surprisingly, when the subjects ate two apples daily for six weeks, the benefits were less.
Adapted from University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter: The Newsletter of Nutrition, Fitness, and Self-Care.
